Is there anything that captures the very essence of summer better than a bowl full of creamy, sweet Fresh Peach Ice Cream? Every spoonful tastes like sunshine and satisfaction! This peach ice cream is easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients. If you have ripe peaches, you have to try this ice cream!
Looking for more Ice Cream recipes? Try this unique Ube Ice Cream, addictive Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream (no-churn), scrumptious Lemon Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, or a classic Mint Chocolate Chip.
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Cuisinart 1.5-Quart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker, White
What Goes Into Peach Ice Cream?
The best and most delicious ice cream is always the simplest! To make this Homemade Fresh Peach Ice Cream, you really only need seven ingredients, most of which you probably always have on hand. It’s almost hard to believe how truly easy it is to make your own ice cream at home. Once you’ve made this recipe, you’ll think twice before picking up a carton of store-bought ice cream again.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ripe Fresh Peaches
Whole Milk
Whipping Cream
White Sugar
Egg Yolks
Vanilla
Lemon Juice
In addition to the ice cream ingredients, you’ll also need an ice cream maker. Because this is a custard-based ice cream recipe, you will need to churn it. I just use a simple hand churn ice cream maker with no bells or whistles.
What is the Secret Ingredient in Ice Cream?
The four main ingredients in ice cream are milk, cream, sugar, and egg yolk. However, the secret ingredient – the ingredient that makes ice cream the rich treat that we all love – is the butterfat that is in the milk and cream.
Be sure to use whole milk and whipping cream (not half-and-half) to make this peach ice cream taste creamy, smooth, and rich.
How to Make Peach Ice Cream
To begin, peel and slice your peaches. Then, combine them with a 1/2 cup of sugar and a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Let them sit at room temperature for about an hour or until the peaches are soft and have released their juices to create a syrup.
Once the peaches are soft and syrupy, you’ll want to mash them up thoroughly. I like to use a submersion blender and just pulse a few times, but you can also use the back of a fork or even a potato masher. You don’t want large pieces because the large frozen peaches will freeze into hard rocks in the ice cream.
After mashing the peaches, strain through a mesh strainer. Reserve the liquid to add to the ice cream base (this is what gives the ice cream its delicious peach flavor), and put the chopped peaches into the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
Making the Custard
While the peaches are doing their thing, you can make the custard ice cream base. Begin by heating the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. You don’t want to boil the mixture, but you want it to get very hot.
While the milk mixture is heating up, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until they are light in color. While whisking, very slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs.
Slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the hot cream in the saucepan. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until the custard is hot and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
To ensure that your Peach Ice Cream is creamy and smooth, pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. This will ensure that no bits of egg white or any other lumps make their way into your ice cream.
Stir in the liquid from the mashed peaches, cover with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the ice cream base is thoroughly chilled.
Ice Cream Maker
When the custard is completely chilled, you’ll pour it into your ice cream maker (normally, this has a bowl component that has also been chilled in the freezer before use) and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning and freezing. This normally takes about 30 minutes, but you’ll want to add the mashed peaches about halfway through when the ice cream begins to thicken.
Once it’s churned, you can eat it, but I tend to want it a little more frozen than the ice cream maker can usually achieve on its own, so I transfer it to an air-tight container and freeze it for another 4 hours before serving.
Serve it up in ice cream cones or dishes, or just scoop it right out of the ice cream container! You’re going to love this Homemade Fresh Peach Ice Cream, I promise.
Pin it HERE!
Pin it HERE!
Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 3 medium yellow peaches peeled and sliced
- 1 1/4 cup sugar divided
- juice from half a fresh lemon
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Peel and slice peaches. Combine them with a 1/2 cup of sugar and a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice. Let them sit at room temperature for about an hour or until the peaches are soft and have released their juices to create a syrup.
- Once the peaches are soft and syrupy, you’ll need to mash them. You can pulse a few times with a submersion blender or mash with the back of a fork or potato masher. You don’t want large chunks of peach because they freeze rock hard in the ice cream.
- Strain the mashed peaches through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving the liquid to add to the ice cream base. Refrigerate the mashed peaches until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. You don’t want to boil the mixture, but you want it to get very hot.
- While the milk mixture is heating up, whisk together the egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until they are fluffy and light in color (about 2 minutes).
- While continually whisking, very slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs. Then, slowly whisk the egg mixture back into the hot cream in the saucepan. Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently, until the custard is hot and just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- To ensure that your Peach Ice Cream is creamy and smooth, pour the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. This will ensure that no bits of egg white or any other lumps make their way into your ice cream.
- Stir in the liquid from the mashed peaches, cover with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until the ice cream base is thoroughly chilled.
- When the custard is completely chilled, you’ll pour it into your ice cream maker (normally, this has a bowl component that has also been chilled in the freezer before use) and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning and freezing. This normally takes about 30 minutes, but you’ll want to add the mashed peaches about halfway through when the ice cream begins to thicken.
- Once it’s churned, you can eat it, but I tend to want it a little more frozen than the ice cream maker can usually achieve on its own, so I transfer it to an air-tight container and freeze it for another 4 hours before serving.
Comments & Reviews
Carol Schultx says
Hi Tara: I have printed and used some of your recipes and really enjoy them. Seeing this one really gave me a craving for ice cream. I am lactose intolerant so was wondering if the lactose-free whole milk and heavy cream would work for this. I have a large total of dollars saved up at Canadian Trie and thought I would use them to purchase the ice cream maker. BUT, if the recipe wouldn’t work, I don’t want to waste my money. I live in a rural area where it is very hard to get much variety in the lactose-free ice cream and I thought this machine might be the answer but of course only if the lactose free ingredients would work. Hopefully you can give me an answer. Thanks for your time in advance
Tara Noland says
Thank you for being such a great follower or our recipes! I have not had any experience using lactose free products but I would search some other recipes in how to use this product so that it would work well in an ice cream machine. Sorry I can’t be of more help.